


Odd Child

by nicedragon



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Daycare, Children, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-04-20
Packaged: 2018-01-20 01:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1492102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicedragon/pseuds/nicedragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>daycare/preschool au. Adult-caretaker/teacher!Aoba, Preschooler!Noiz</p>
            </blockquote>





	Odd Child

**Author's Note:**

> Honorifics are used.

"Seragaki-san, it's Noiz-kun's first day. it looks like his family moved here from Germany, so I'm not sure how good his Japanese is and I was wondering- if you don't mind-"

Aoba waved a hand, cutting off his frazzled co-worker. 

"It's fine, it's fine. I understand. I'll go say hello and introduce myself. It looks like your hands are full anyways." He smiled.

"Ah, yes, thank you." His co-worker smiled warmly back and adjusted the child on her hip, while turning to finally address the child that had been tugging on her skirt impatiently.

Aoba patted his hands on his apron absentmindedly and looked to Noiz.

He was a small blond boy with clean clothes. He had brown knee shorts held up with suspenders, brown shoes, and a white shirt. It looked strangely formal for a child. He was sitting at a small plastic table in a corner away from the other children. There was colorful paper and crayons on the table, but he wasn't touching them. He seemed wholly distant. 

Aoba walked over and knelt down next to him. Noiz glanced at him and sat still. Aoba reflected, that up close, Noiz had a doll-like esque. He was fair, quiet, and still; adding onto how out of place he looked in the room with all the other rambunctious children playing and making noise.

"Hi, Noiz-kun, I'm Seragaki-sensei. I hope you'll like it here. Let's have lots of fun alright?" Aoba talked in a faintly warm and relaxed tone he'd developed to help make the new children more comfortable. "If you need anything or need help with anything come to me. Or anyone else here with one of these." Aoba grinned and shook out his apron. It was knee-length and had his name on one of the top corners. The large pocket on the bottom was surprisingly helpful on occasion.

Noiz looked but didn't speak.

Aoba smiled a tad unsettled. It would be difficult if it turned out Noiz didn't speak any Japanese at all, and the possibility was rising. He was better with rowdier children... Speaking of which...

Aoba spotted Koujaku out of the corner of his eye walking purposely toward the pair of blonde children who, despite looking alike, were in fact, not twins. 

Aoba's eyes narrowed and he quickly turned to Noiz. He set a piece of paper and moved some crayons in front of him.

"I'll be right back, Noiz-kun. Draw me something please? How about something you like, it can be anything." Aoba used his warmest voice and smile.  
He hoped to at least convey friendliness even if Noiz didn't understand him. 

He stood from his kneeling position just as he heard shouts. Koujaku was running and the look-alike children were giving chase. 

"Hey! Koujaku! _No running..!_ "

Koujaku stopped dead in his tracks, hair swooshing, and though they hadn't been addressed the two others did as well.

"They were running too." Koujaku said as he approached.

"Virus... Trip..." Aoba gave them stern looks. 

"Yes, sensei, sorry sensei." Virus said, managing to sound both casual and contrite. He smiled at Aoba, and Trip apologized too.

"Go back to what you were doing and don't start this up again okay?"

They nodded and walked back together to their table game.

Koujaku was looking at the floor when Aoba turned back to him. His cheeks were pink and his hair was in his face. "Sorry sensei..."

Aoba sighed. "It's alright Koujaku." Aoba patted him then paused. "You're hair's coming loose. Here, turn around, I'll fix it." Koujaku hurriedly turned and Aoba bent to retie his ponytail. While he did so, he lightly reprimanded him. 

"Done." Aoba finished and let Koujaku's hair slide through his fingers.

Koujaku turned and looked up at him. "Thank you." 

Koujaku had a charm to him that made it hard for you to stay mad for too long. Aoba had learned through time and experience that Koujaku tried to behave, but he clashed with certain students anyways. 

"Not a problem." Aoba grinned and gave Koujaku's hair a teasing tug. Koujaku was a good kid. When Aoba needed a helper with one thing or another he always volunteered.

Uprising resolved, Aoba went to return his attention to Noiz. He was surprised and pleased to see Noiz with crayon in hand. Walking over, Aoba curiously looked at what Noiz had been drawing. Crooked blocky bunnies littered the paper. Noiz put a pair of ears on a new black one and Aoba commented.

"Oh, wow! They're really cute. I like them. Do you like rabbits, Noiz-kun?"

Aoba asked a straight forward question, testing whether Noiz would understand.

"Yeah." Noiz answered after a moment. 

"When you get bored you can play with the other kids, or see if they might want to color too."

Noiz seemed to look at the other children for a second before looking back flatly at Aoba. 

"No."

Aoba looked out and saw Virus and Trip talking loudly to each other, a fairly new child, Clear, had a plastic bucket on his head as a hat, and other children were at play and occasionally they raised their voices.

"Ahaha, well... Alright. Then _we_ can play together. Sound good?"

Noiz kicked his feet underneath the table and didn't respond.

Aoba couldn't figure out just yet whether Noiz's silence was with distaste or whether he was just unsociable. Odd child.

Aoba's co-worker rang a bell at the front of the room. 

"Okay kids, clean up, then we can go out to the playground. After that we'll have lunch."

There were clatters and talking as the kids put games back in boxes and toys in bins. They were generally pretty quick about it, wanting to get outside. 

Aoba's co-worker surveyed the room with hands on her hips, while children fidgeted and looked expectantly up at her. She clapped her hands.

"Okay, let's go!"

Kids cheered and crowded forward as she opened the door to the playground. 

"C'mon, Noiz. Let's go outside. It's nice out today." Aoba ushered him, trying to encourage him. 

Noiz stood and followed the other children outside without further prompting.

"Seragaki-san, could you get the tables ready for lunch while I watch the kids outside?"

"Sure, I got it." Aoba assured her. Honestly, he didn't mind setting up. It gave him a brief break from the kids. Don't get him wrong, the kids were great. It's just you know. Kids.

She smiled. "Thanks Seragaki-san. You know, I've been meaning to tell you but you really are good with the kids, they like you and they always seem to listen to you." 

Aoba laughed, touched by the compliment.

"Thank you very much. It makes me happy to hear that."

* * *

Aoba jumped as the door to outside suddenly opened. Aoba's co-worker held Noiz by his hand. 

"Hun, don't be so rough with others... And yourself." Aoba heard her say to Noiz, and he noticed one of Noiz's knees was skinned.

"Oh. Oh, I'll fix him up." Aoba blurted.

"Ah, thanks a million. Noiz-kun be good for Seragaki-sensei."

She handed Noiz off to Aoba and went back outside, the door closing behind her.

"Alright let's take a look at your knee." Aoba took Noiz to the corner where first-aid was kept and lifted him onto the counter. He was light and easy to lift. His feet dangled.  
"Hmm." Aoba saw the skin on his knee had been broken.

Aoba reached for the kit on the top shelf and brought down the white first-aid box. 

"This might sting a little" Aoba warned, taking the disinfectant spray from the kit.

Being brief and watching for reaction, Aoba popped the cap and sprayed it on Noiz's knee. To his surprise Noiz didn't react at all. Sometimes the kids cried.

Aoba went for a bandage when Noiz spoke.

"You don't have to bother."

Aoba frowned. "Yes, I do."

"No." Noiz went to push himself off the counter.

"You- wait. Sit still. It's not a bother and it's hardly anything. Just hold on..."

Aoba rummaged through the kit and found a box of band-aids under a bottle of ointment. 

"Want to pick the color?"

Noiz was steadily facing the wall, but his eyes went to the box Aoba held out. He shrugged.

"Alriight, then green it is."

Aoba peeled the paper off and smoothed it on Noiz's knee. 

"See there. No trouble at all."

"'s cause it's your job."

"Uh..? Yes. It's my job to take care of you while you're here..." Aoba held his tongue in his cheek. Something about Noiz's comment made faint irritation run up his spine.

Noiz held a frown and twisted his leg to look at his knee.

_Injury on the first day... I hope his parents are understanding._


End file.
